Self-Consciousness
From CasGroup
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'''Self-consciousness''' - the awareness of the self as an entity of the environment. Related to self-awareness and the [[Self|"self"]], and maybe to [[Shadow_Emergence|shadow emergence]]. No computer has ever been designed that is aware of what it's doing. | '''Self-consciousness''' - the awareness of the self as an entity of the environment. Related to self-awareness and the [[Self|"self"]], and maybe to [[Shadow_Emergence|shadow emergence]]. No computer has ever been designed that is aware of what it's doing. | ||
| - | + | == Berkeley and Descartes == | |
| - | [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Berkeley George Berkeley] said there are no mind-independent things or substances, and coined the phrase | + | [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Berkeley George Berkeley] said there are no mind-independent things or substances, and coined the phrase "Esse est percipi" ("To be is to be perceived"). [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rene_Descartes Rene Descartes] supported mind-body dualism, he thought that the mind is a nonphysical substance. He is famous for his "Cogito, ergo sum" ("I think, therefore I am"). If all perceptions are created by us, and if our perceptions and thoughts exist, than we must exist, too, whether the self is some kind of substance or not. |
Berkeley argues that our knowledge, including our knowledge of ourselves, must be based on our perceptions. He emphasizes the cognitive and social aspects of self-consciousness: to be or to exist means to be perceived - you exist because other people think you exist. Descartes highlights the logical and religious aspect of self-consciousness: to be or to exist means to think - you exist because you believe that you exist. | Berkeley argues that our knowledge, including our knowledge of ourselves, must be based on our perceptions. He emphasizes the cognitive and social aspects of self-consciousness: to be or to exist means to be perceived - you exist because other people think you exist. Descartes highlights the logical and religious aspect of self-consciousness: to be or to exist means to think - you exist because you believe that you exist. | ||
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What do we get if we mix both philosophers together? Both think that the perception and creation process are closely associated: according to Berkeley, we create a thing by perception: the perception process classifies and creates an object. According to Descartes, all perceptions are created by us. Therefore we get the following chain: | What do we get if we mix both philosophers together? Both think that the perception and creation process are closely associated: according to Berkeley, we create a thing by perception: the perception process classifies and creates an object. According to Descartes, all perceptions are created by us. Therefore we get the following chain: | ||
| - | : we- | + | : we->create->perceptions->create->things |
now, if the thing is yourself, then you create yourself by your own perception in a circular regress. Is this self-consciousness? The conscious perception and creation of ourselves? | now, if the thing is yourself, then you create yourself by your own perception in a circular regress. Is this self-consciousness? The conscious perception and creation of ourselves? | ||
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== What is self-consciousness ? == | == What is self-consciousness ? == | ||
